AMERICA LAUGHING

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 151, 23 December 1926, Page 11

AMERICA LAUGHING

EX-CONVICT'S EFFRONTERY

TETE-A-TETE WITH A QUEEN.

(From Our Own Correspondent) SAN FRANCISCO, Ist Dec;

Tlie story of how an ex-convict, on parole from the.n'otjrious San Quentin Penitentiary, acted as host to Queen Mario at a function in Seattle, entirely unknown to her or members of the royal entourage, is now boiug told and retold by the American papers, from coast to coast. Not.only did the Queen accept tho arm of this person, who at tho time was wearing a hired dress sui,t, as he escorted her ' v the stage box of a crowded theatre, but ho sat alongside her in tho box, and sho conversed with him for twenty minutes.He boasts that his. adventure netted him a profit of nearly a thousand dollars.

The facts, as disclosed by the man himself in this city, arc that he, Samuel Milaril, had been admitted to parole after serving portion of a sentence of one to ton years in oonnoctic with the promotion of a theatrical show. Let the story appear iv the man's own words;:—

, "Shortly after my release, i borrowed ten dollars from tho bell boy at the hotel whfcro I put up, and a further thirty dollars from an attorney in San Francisco, to enable me to pay my faro to Seattle. Onco.there I interviewed tho Rumanian coloi.y, and, tolling them my forbears were Rumanian, I was chosen to prepare details of a benefit in aid ,of Rumanian orphans, at which the. Queen of Rumania was to be invited. The arrangement was that I was to get fifty-Vifty with the orphans. <(I sent off a telegram to Samuel Hill, who was in charge on Queen Marie's train of her arrangements. ,1 expressed tho loyalty of her subjects in Seattle and their wish'to entertain her. Next morning I received a telegram from Hill that tho Queen had graciously accepted my invitation." HIRED A DRESS SUIT. Continuing liis story ho said he borrowod ton dollars from the hotel manager on tho security of the telegram and hired a dress suit. President Theatre was filled With a distinguished Western gathering to do honour to -Queen Marie. Millard, surrounded by a Rumanian guard of honour, met Queen Mario at tho outranco to tho theatre, aud escorted her to her bo::.

The man had tho effrontery, according to his own statement, to , stand alongside the Queen and bow with hor as sho acknowledged the cheers of welcome from tho people of Seattle. As tho Queen sat down he took tho _ient at her side. During tho performance, the Queen chatted with him, asking after her people at Seattle and in the West. He told her that most of them were working in tho fish markets.

The Queen departed somewhat hastily during tho performance, giving her escort a curt nod of adieu. It was believed at the timo that it was due ta fatigue or tho'annoyance sho suffered from the quarrels between tho squabbling factions on her train. Tho cxconvict said it may possibly havo been becauso he had suggested that sho should go on a lecture tour through America, and that ho should bo her manager.